University of Glasgow forms strategic partnership with Smithsonian

Cross-Atlantic collaboration to help research, teaching and loan agreements

The University of Glasgow has entered into a cross-Atlantic partnership agreement with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Both prominent research and teaching institutions, the strategic partnership will help to advance research, teaching and public knowledge of their collections, from antiquities to astrophysics, the preservation of natural ecosystems and the protection of cultural heritage.

The agreement will extend staff research collaborations and exchanges as well as student internships and work placements. The strategic partnership builds on the two institutions’ Memorandum of Understanding, which they signed in 2016.

The two institutions already have a longstanding relationship. Both hold collections of work by the American-born artist James McNeill Whistler, which kickstarted their first collaboration in 1993.

The Smithsonian is the largest museum, education and research institution in the world. It runs 19 museums and nine research centres, takes care of 154 million objects and has a budget of $1.5bn for the fiscal year 2018.

Anton Muscatelli, the principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “The University of Glasgow is proud of our reputation as a leading place of learning, teaching and research in Scotland. But at the same time we have always had an international outlook. This agreement will significantly develop and enhance our close working partnership with colleagues at the Smithsonian Institution as well as strengthening our bonds of friendship.”

John Davis, the Smithsonian provost, said: “This strategic partnership between the Smithsonian and the University of Glasgow builds on the strong bonds these two great institutions already share. We look forward to many more years of collaborating and exchanging ideas on the important issues facing our world today.”